Wringer gear head structure



May 21, 1940. J. l... PERKINS WRINGER GEAR HEAb STRUCTURE s Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 3, 1939 Q zpezzzz May 21 1940.

I .WRIN-GER GEAR HEAD STRUCTURE.

Filed Aug. 5, 1.939 3 Sheets$heet 3 J. L. PERKINS 2,201,242

. i f z Zz'arz li e/"Z2775 Patented May 21, 1940 UETE STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 3,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wringer gear heads of the reversible rotating type such as are com.- monly employed for the wringers of domestic washing machines.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a gear head structure that does not require a closed housing but which is adapted to be housed within a wringer frame in a manner that provides positive alignment of the gears in proper relation to the driven wringer roll.

Whereas the older washing machine structures provided a separate enclosed wringer head to which the wringer was attached, the modern development of such wringers provides an integral head and wringer frame structure in a more artistic or streamlined styling. To compensate for the extra cost of such wringers it is desirable to eliminate the closed wringer head and substitute an open frame structure. However, since the accuracies required to properly mount the gears in the head are far closer than .those normally required in the wringer proper, it was discovered that such gear head structures should incorporate the necessary structure to maintain the required gear mounting accuracies. This is particularly true of stamped steel wringer frames which are commonly used in the art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wringer head structure that is adapted to be mounted in a variety of wringer frames with a minimum of change.

And a still further object is to provide a wringer head structure which requires a minimum of lubrication and oiling service.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptions and drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a broken cross sectional elevation view of the head end of a wringer showing the arrangement of my wringer gear head structure;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the wringer gear head structure as it would appear on the section lines 2--2 of Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional plan view of the same wringer gear head as it would appear on the section lines 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end, elevation view of the wringer gear head structure as it appears on the section lines 4--4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation view of my wringer gear head frame.

Now referring to Fig. l, I designate the lower wringer frame, including the housing for the wringer gear head, by the numeral l0; the upper 1939, Serial No. 288,099

known in the art and which will not be disclosed in greater detail.

My wringer gear head frame is an open frame structure preferably made as a diecasting in order to attain the greatest accuracies at the least cost. It consists of a base member 14 to which 10 is attached an upright support member IS on the top of which is a bearing boss 16 for the control handle.

Now referring to Figs. 2 and 3, from the side of the bearing boss 5 is a support member I1, and projecting forward from this arm is a bearing boss 18 having a bearing trunnion l9 projecting therefrom. The frame is mounted or secured into the wringer frame through the upper bosses 20 and 2| and lower bosses 22 and23, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. This open frame structure may be rigidly and accurately mounted in the wringer frame In by means of cap screws or any other suitable fastener means through the mounting bosses 20; 2|, 22, and 23.

Inserted in the base section I4 is a pivot tube 24 for swingably mounting the wringer on the washing machine. This tube is provided with a fastener structure 25 for holding the wringer in any index position around the washing machine, as is well understood in the art. It will be appreciated that the size of the tube 24 can be easily adjusted to fit any washing machine within the normal range of wringer support tubes and that, therefore, my wringer gear head may be readily adapted to fit a wide range of washing machines. The same is true of the mounting bosses 20, 2|, 22, and 23 which may be readily adjusted to fit various widths of wringer frames;

In the top of the pivot tube 24 I insert, an oilless bronze bearing 26 for rotatably supporting the drive shaft 2'! which has a connection coupling 28 to match with the drive shaft extending upward from the washing machine gear mechanism. This bearing 26 is made rather long and sturdy because in carrying out my invention I eliminate the conventional upper bearing for such shafts and substitute therefor the hole in the support boss l8 which in diecast metal in conjunction with the bearing 26 provides ample bearing support for the vertical drive shaft/21.

Mounted on the vertical drive shaft 21 are spur gears 29 and 30, while meshing with these spur' gears is a face gear 3| held in proper toothed engagement by means of the trunnion shaft l9, the shoulder 32, the thrust washer 33, and the shoulder pin 34. This shoulder pin is held on the trunnion shaft l9 by the pin 35 inserted through the hole 36 of the face gear 3|. In the end of the face gear 3| is a drive slot 3'! which effectively drives the roll l2 by means of the pin 38 in the roll shaft 12. It is believed that the above description will clearly explain the mounting of the gears, but applicant particularly desires to point out that all required gear accuracies are maintained in the integral frame membar which preferably is a diecasting and by means of which all the proper relationship of the gears are effectively maintained.

The spur gears 29 and 36 have shifter slots 29' and 39 through which is inserted a shifter bracket 4! which in turn is actuated by the handle 32 pivoted on the bearing t3 and actuating the eccentric 44 to throw the shifter bracket 4i upwards or downwards or in neutral where it is held by means of the detent ball 45 in the various I detent depressions 43 positioned to accommodate the proper relationship of the shifter 4i.

Through the vertical shaft .21 I affix hardened pins 39 and 40 on each side of the horizontal boss l8 which definitely fix the position of the shaft 21. On the spur gears 29 and 3!) there are clutch bosses 39' and 40' to engage the pins 39 and 40, respectively, as the shifter yoke 32 throws the spur gears 29 and 30in up or down or neutral position to control the rotation of the wringer rolls. The functioning of the gears in this manner is well understood in the art, the arrangement being necessary to control the rotation of the wringer rolls forward or reversed or for neutral.

In. the preferred embodiment of my invention as shown, I use spur and face gears which have a rolling contact and which do not require extensive lubrication. I provide the necessary lubrication by daubing the gears with a proper gear lubricant and which for normal washing machine service is effective for all lubrication purposes for a long period of time. However, I do provide additional means for lubrication in the ball oiling fixture 41 in the top of the wringer frame H]. This lubricating fixture permits the operator to drop oil through the wringer frame on top of the shaft 21 from which it is eifectiveiy distributed. To assist in this I provide an oiling slot H3 in the boss I8 in order to induct oil and lubricate the trunnion shaft 19. In some applications of my wringer gear head the bottom of the wringer frame H] is closed or a shallow oil pan inserted around the pivot tube 24 to catch any lubricant falling from the gears.

Applicant has disclosed by the above description a simple, novel arrangement of wringer gear head structure which can be built at low cost, adapted to be installed in various kinds of wringers and which requires no other closure except the closure provided by the wringer frame itself.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a washing machine wringer gear head, including a set of drive gears for transmitting rotating movement from a vertical drive shaft to a horizontal wringer r011, an open frame, said frame consisting of a base providing means to support a pivot tube for swinging the wringer gear head and attached wringer to various wringing positions, an upright L-shaped supporting section of the frame, a horizontal L-shaped section attached to said vertical section, and means incorporated in said frame to mount said gears in accurate working relationship, said last-named means including a trunnion shaft for journaling the horizontal drive gear.

2. In a Washing machine wringer gear head, including a set of drive gears for transmitting rotating movement from a vertical drive shaft to a horizontal wringer roll, an open frame, said frame consisting of a base providing means to support a pivot tube for swinging the wringer gear head and attached wringer to various wringing positions, an upright L-shaped supporting section of the frame, a horizontal L- shaped section attached to said vertical section,

means incorporated in said frame to mount said gears in accurate working relationship, said lastnamed means including a trunnion shaft for journaling the horizontal drive gear, and attachment means incorporated in said frame whereby the gear head may be mounted within a wringer frame to support the wringer and drive the rolls.

3. In a washing machine wringer gear head, a set of drive gears including two spaced reversing gears on a vertical drive shaft and a horizontal driver gear for transmitting rotating movement from the vertical drive shaft to a horizontal wringer roll, an open frame, means incorporated in said frame to mount said gears in accurate working relationship, said last-named means including a trunnion shaft for journaling thedriver gear and a support bearing for the vertical shaft between the reversing gears, and attachment means incorporated in said frame whereby the gear head may be mounted within a wringer frame to support the wringer and drive the rolls.

JULIAN L. PERKINS. 

